1. Technical Field
This invention relates generally to tables, and more particularly to a television snack table for use ahead of a comfortable living room sofa or chair.
2. Background Information
The small size and light weight of a typical television snack table facilitates transport and setup. A twenty-five inch or so height mates well with conventional chairs and sofas, and a tray-size top provides enough surface area for many favorite activities. But a person reclined in a comfortable sofa or chain can find the table top difficult to reach.
Visualize a person watching television from a relaxed position in a living room sofa or chair--a position which is reclined backwardly somewhat. To reach an item on a snack table placed directly in front of them, they must assume a more erect position by moving forward in the chair or sofa or they must at least lean forward. Then they either remain poised on the edge of the seat or stretch forward each time they want to reach the table top, something that may be virtually impossible to accomplish gracefully. So, having the table top some distance ahead of the user's lap presents a problem.
Some existing tables include a movable table top. The top is mounted movably on a base so that the top can be moved closer to the user's lap. The base is made suitable large and/or heavy so that the table does not tip over toward the user.
But that arrangement does not work with the small size and light weight of a typical snack table because the footprint and size of the base is so limited. If a fully loaded top were extended horizontally toward the user, the table would tip toward the user and dump everything into the user's lap. So, a solution remains desirable--some way of making snack tables more convenient to use from a relaxed position in a sofa or chair.